Surrounded
by flying duck
Summary: [ch 1-15 FIXED, pls r&r!!] When the roughnecks R'nR is interrupted for an important, not to mention secretive, mission they find their scanners reading constant bug activity leaving them, supposedly, surrounded, so, why don’t they see any bugs?
1. R 'n R

Disclaimer: I don't own any of the roughnecks people.I might add in a character or two of my own but I haven't decided yet.  
  
Note: This' just the beginning ; )  
  
I love the characters in this so I'm hoping to keep them as similar as possible, so if I don't feel free to tell me. Please RnR, and be honest!!  
  
DIZZY:  
  
"You'd think they'd give us some good food for all the work we do for SICON," I muttered loudly as I slumped down at the table across from Doc and Gossard.  
  
"You'd think."  
  
"Huuh!" I gasped and quelled the urge to jump out of my skin as Rico's head appeared above my right shoulder. "Don't DO that! Where'd you come from?"  
  
He yawned, "bed." Slumping heavily into the seat next to me his tray clattered against the table and he closed his eyes and leaned his head against my shoulder.  
  
Smirking down at him I rolled it back, jostling his head backwards. With a jolt his eyes flew open and his head bounced sharply back into the living to glare at me.  
  
"You mean you actually left?" I teased.  
  
"Ten hours strait of bugs, you'd think you could cut me some slack," Rico replied.  
  
"You'd think." I winked at him before turning back to my food.  
  
"They're like a married couple," Doc hissed to Goss, making sure it was just loud enough for me to overhear. "Ow! What?! Jeeze, did you play soccer in high school as WELL as football?!" He cried, rubbing his shin where my shoe had left a tiny of a dent.  
  
HIGGINS:  
  
'I wonder if they'd let me interview some of the injured. No, FedNet's looking for positive reports. . . If I can find something REALLY good about this place they should give me an oscar!' Smiling secretively I couldn't help but leave my dark thoughts to envision it, my perfect moment.  
  
"What are you smiling about, kid?" Zim asked cheerfully as he entered the Roughnecks room. I could already feel the blush seeping into my cheeks before I could even open my mouth to respond. "Uh, have you seen the Luitenant?" he kindly changed the subject.  
  
"Actually I think he's in the mess hall, forgetting he's the LT." I shrugged, trying not to look too grateful for the save.  
  
Zim laughed, "oh well, we've got 72 hours, let him forget for awhile."  
  
I smiled slightly, "with Christmas right in the middle, too."  
  
Zim raised an eyebrow. "Good or bad?'  
  
"Both!" I groaned. "I mean it's Christmas and we're in R 'n R. . . but then again we're away from home AND FedNet wants a Christmas report FROM the troops instead of FOR the troops and I don't know what I'm gonna do about it."  
  
"I don't suppose it could be realistic?" Zim asked skeptically, folding his arms.  
  
"No, sir."  
  
"Figures." 


	2. or maybe not...

2 Note: sorry the last one probably didn't exactly stir much curiosity about what'll happen next. . .but I guess you'll have to wait and see (I don't know all of it yet myself ; )  
  
  
  
MAX:  
  
Pop's old squad, what are the odds? PLUS Zim! Man, and I thought I'd be gettin' away from all that stuff.  
  
I shut my eyes. I didn't want to think about it anymore, besides there wasn't much I could do about it anyway. At the moment there wasn't anything I could do, period. 'Ahhhhh! I said STOP thinking about it!!'  
  
Reaching down to my PDC player, which sat on the floor, I rammed up the volume to a good 90% and began singing long with the lyrics (in my head). Oh, yeah, like I was gonna let someone come in here and catch me half asleep and singing along off key to music they couldn't particularly hear like an idiot, that'd be just what I needed!  
  
GOSSARD  
  
Thank God for R 'n R!! I felt exhausted out of my mind and if Max pulled one more stupid stunt I was ready to open fire!! OK, so maybe he's not THAT bad. . .maybe.  
  
"So, we're seriously here through Christmas?" I asked, directing the question at Rico, or was I supposed to call him LT now?  
  
"Yeah, not pulling any surprise missions out of a hat are you?" Dizzy added.  
  
" 'We're here for the next 72 hours until further notice.' " Rico quoted.  
  
"So what does that mean?" Dizzy demanded.  
  
Rico shrugged. "Cross your fingers."  
  
I don't know if anybody's ever gonna figure those two out. Rico finally figures out he loves Dizzy and Diz decides she only "used" to love him (which is bull as far as anybody who actually knows her, like say her squad, can tell). Now they're both. . .who KNOWS what, acting like nothing ever happened. Go figure. All you can do is let it go 'cause with Dizzy and Rico you don't try to fix their problems because the odds are it'll only make them worse. The pair of them get into enough fights trying to do that for each other.  
  
"Yeah Flores, don't question a good thing." I put my two cents in.  
  
Dizzy shrugged, "if you think that'll help."  
  
"'Course I do," I replied confidently.  
  
"Yeah, and that's why you questioned it in the first place, right?" Doc asked, eyebrow cocked.  
  
"Yeah," Dizzy grinned, "you're such a hypocrite, Goss."  
  
I shrugged, "what can I say?"  
  
"Generally?" She replied, "not much."  
  
ZIM:  
  
Just to quote almost every movie and TV series in history: 'I have a bad feeling about this'.  
  
I was making my way down the hallway towards the mess. Rico was aloud to forget he was a Lieutenant, but only for so long. SICON already wanted to talk to him about 'after' our R 'n R. Hopefully AFTER the R 'n R. The whole squad needed some time to relax and what better time than Christmas, right? And yet, SOMEHOW, I get the feeling the bugs aren't exactly about to offer a Christmas truce. 


	3. here we go again

DOC  
  
The Sarge had taken Rico -er, the LT- a message and he'd disappeared, so it was down to me, Goss, Dizzy and Zim, all heading for our room.  
  
As we walked I hummed Christmas carols without it even occurring to me that somebody else might be able to hear them. I couldn't help it; they always get stuck in my head around this time of year and besides, we were in R 'n R, I just couldn't help being at least a little bit cheerful.  
  
We were almost there and even if I'd already slept and wasn't feeling as tiered as when we first got back I was still ready to flop down on my bed and relax. Just as I reached out to push the door open Dizzy and Gossard burst into song, singing along with the carol I was humming:  
  
"Walkin' round a winter wonderland - "  
  
Grinning (and blushing a little) I joined in wholeheartedly. We got caught on the words a few times, but when we did we just repeated the previous verse or two and everything was fine. We even had Zim singing along as we entered the room.  
  
Max sat bolt upright and stared at us, wide-eyed and horrified, until we finished the song.  
  
"You guys are IN-SANE!" He exclaimed before flopping back down onto his bed. Shaking his head he muttered: "serious issues."  
  
"Aw." Dizzy sat down at the foot of his bed. "You really gotta lighten up, kid."  
  
"Just get off my back, OK?"  
  
She rolled her eyes and moved to sit on the trunk at the foot of her own bed.  
  
I shrugged, "no Christmas spirit."  
  
HIGGINS:  
  
"Who has no Christmas spirit?" I asked as I pushed through the door to our room.  
  
"Besides the bugs?" Zim asked.  
  
"Uh, yeah."  
  
Goss jerked his head in the direction of Max's bunk, "him."  
  
Max stirred ever so slightly to glare out at as. "Aw, shutup."  
  
"See?" Gossard said, making his point triumphantly. "He's a regular Scrooge I tell you!"  
  
I nodded slightly, not really wanting to get on Max's bad side. I mean, I know where he's coming from, I was the new kid too. Plus I wasn't exactly feeling overly jolly at the moment myself.  
  
"What's wrong, Bobby?" Diz asked when I slumped heavily onto my bed, leaving my camera on my trunk.  
  
"I'm supposed to do a Christmas report and I haven't got a clue what to do it on!! I thought maybe I'd get some Christmas messages from people in the Infirmary but 'no, no, they need their rest' and can't be bothered by pains in the ass like me."  
  
"Jeeze, NOBODY'S in the Christmas spirit," she teased.  
  
"Don't worry, paperboy, I'm sure you'll figure out something," Doc tried to comfort.  
  
"Thanks," I replied, "but, any ideas?"  
  
"Um," Doc and Dizzy looked each other.  
  
"Can't you just get a ton of people to wish the people back home a merry Christmas?" Gossard asked. "You know, like how sometimes the people back home do a 'for the boys' type of thing. . .uh," he glanced at a frowning Dizzy and corrected himself, "'troopers'. It would be like a 'for the families back home'."  
  
"I tried that," I groaned. "FedNet just said: 'that's the base, now EXPAND.'"  
  
"How'd you pull this job, anyway?" Max asked, without moving the slightest acknowledging muscle from his bunk to even look in my general direction. Then again he WAS making an effort, sort of.  
  
"I'm a reporter with a long R 'n R right now, I have time to come up with something really good," I sighed. "I guess this is a good opportunity for me, but if they don't want anything depressing how far can I take it?"  
  
"You've pulled it off before though, I saw a couple of yours on TV," Max replied. "Uh," he caught his moment of involuntary kindness, "my Dad made me watch them."  
  
I knew he couldn't be ALL bad.  
  
RICO:  
  
Sadistic bastards.  
  
We don't get two seconds into our R 'n R and they hit us with this.  
  
As I moved to open the door I stopped and listened for a second. The squad was in there sounding pretty cheerful, for the most part anyway. Max was still in his permanent funk from the sound of things and Higgins sounded like he was somewhere in between being distressed about something and happy about Christmas, but the rest of them sounded fine. Doc was even humming Christmas carols.  
  
I sighed, better go ruin it for them. Damn.  
  
I pushed open the door a little harder than I'd meant to and it swung hard, not to mention loudly, against its hinges as I made my entrance.  
  
Everyone looked up in surprise and, after a pause in which they remembered, jumped to attention and saluted.  
  
"As you were," I said, and they relaxed, sitting comfortably on their beds or otherwise, looking at me expectantly. "SICON," a knowing cringe passed over their faces, "has assigned us a new mission. We do this mission successfully and we get to come back and use whatever time there is remaining in our R 'n R."  
  
Groans passed through the squad.  
  
"What?" Max exclaimed. "You mean they're not gonna put it on pause or anything, just continue it while we're down there?!"  
  
Zim glared at him.  
  
"Uh. . . sir." Max added respectfully but continued to glare.  
  
I nodded simplistically, "Yeah."  
  
Everybody groaned louder and I sympathized, but tried not to show it, that wasn't my job anymore.  
  
"So what's our mission that's so damn important they had to cut into a squad with R 'n R, LT?" Dizzy asked.  
  
"Intel. Officers suspect bugs to be hiding out in the Galapagos Islands and to be preparing a new attack strategy for America. Galapagos is supposedly the perfect place for the bugs to prepare something. It's isolated, not many people go there and it's hard to get to. There have been no transmissions from the people working on the Islands in 24 hours and they are supposed to check in every 3." I explained. "Our job is to go there and get them before they can get us. There will be three other squads working other parts of the Island, we work the West."  
  
"Two questions: 1) why not just blow it up?" Max asked.  
  
"There was a squad and civilians down there and it's a national park," I replied.  
  
"Oookay." Max nodded slowly. "And: 2) what could the bugs possibly be planning?"  
  
"Classified," I replied, (even I didn't know). "We just have to clear 'em out of there."  
  
"Fine," Dizzy grumbled in a huff, running her fingers through her hair. "So when do we leave?" 


	4. 1 hour before we leave

HIGGINS:  
  
"Hey, Higgins," Rico said quietly so that only somebody right next to us could really overhear. "I'm really sorry, but FedNet had to give your report to someone else who'd be around here, but you're supposed to cover some of what goes on down on the Islands. Just, don't let your camera and gun get mixed up, alright?"  
  
"Yeah, no problem LT," I nodded. "Thanks Rico." I don't know if I was more relieved or upset. There went my big opportunity, but then again I was getting really stressed over it so this was probably better, right?  
  
"You OK?" Dizzy asked me as Rico stood and left to catch up on any last minutes of rest he could get.  
  
"Yeah," I nodded, not wondering how she knew. "It's just kinda annoying, you know? Like you study for a week for some stupid test and your teacher suddenly says 'don't worry about it'. It's good 'cause you don't have to do it and risk failing, but you wasted an entire week stressing and worrying over it and you don't get the opportunity for the 'A'."  
  
"Yeah, I know," she patted my back comfortingly. "But don't worry, you'll get other opportunities."  
  
I smiled up at her and she stood to leave. However before she could go I said, "Diz?"  
  
"Yeah, Bobby?"  
  
"Does this whole thing sound really vague to you or am I just paranoid?" I asked.  
  
She grinned, "A little bit of column 'A', a little but of column 'B'."  
  
I rolled my eyes, "oh gee, thanks, I feel way better now."  
  
"Anytime," she replied, turning once again to leave.  
  
DIZZY:  
  
"How much time do we have?" I asked the room.  
  
"15 minutes," Rico replied from where he lay in his bunk, eyes closed.  
  
Grinning I moved over to his bunk, which happened to be on the top, and rested my chin on its edge. "Man, Rico, I think Lieutenants must have built in timers."  
  
He opened his eyes and propped himself up so that he was facing me. "Yeah? Well, what can I say?"  
  
I shrugged. "How does it feel? You know, to have the stripes and all?" I asked, glancing at them. I couldn't say I wasn't a bit jealous, but I had to admit Rico was cut from the same cloth as Razak and I really couldn't think of anyone who could do a better job. . .that is, when he can get his act together.  
  
"Like a huge responsibility," he replied. "One I shouldn't have, but since I do," he shrugged.  
  
"Oh come on Rico, it can't be all that bad."  
  
Rolling his eyes he changed the subject. "Diz how are you not totally exhausted and ready to kill me for getting us stuck with this mission?"  
  
"It's not YOUR fault," I replied quickly. "If anything we'll probably go after Intel."  
  
He grinned. "And I'll do my job and try to stop you," he said insincerely.  
  
I grinned back, "of COURSE."  
  
Closing his eyes he groaned as he began to climb out of his bed, "we gotta get - OW!"  
  
"OW!" I stumbled backwards rubbing my forehead. "For something so hollow your head's as hard as a rock!" For a second I forgot who he was now and exclaimed loud enough for everyone to hear.  
  
As Rico was getting up he'd slipped and lost his ballence, tipping forward just enough to crack foreheads with me.  
  
"Yours isn't exactly soft either," he fired back, equally forgetful. "Despite what people may think!"  
  
The whole room erupted into laughter as they realized what had happened. Rico and I looked from one another to the rest of the squad in surprise.  
  
Oops!  
  
RICO:  
  
Oops!  
  
Oh, yeah, that was real smooth. I couldn't help but grin sheepishly at her and everybody else as I climbed down from my bunk.  
  
"Eh-hem," I cleared my throat. "Troopers, lets move."  
  
The laughter stopped and everybody was up on their feet in seconds, rushing out the doorway and down the hall towards the equipment and change rooms.  
  
"You OK?" I hissed to Dizzy as I caught up with her.  
  
"Yeah, you?" she asked.  
  
"Somehow I think I'll survive," I said.  
  
"Thank God, I was worried," she replied sarcastically with a playful nudge.  
  
I grinned, "Good to know." 


	5. THIS place is infested?!?!

OK, note, don't you hate these? It's not really Christmas anymore, like we're talking summer here, but I don't wanna just stop writing this so. . .  
  
Ooooh! And I betcha thought I forgot T'phai!  
  
  
  
DIZZY  
  
"T'phai! Long time no see!" I exclaimed cheerfully as he joined us in the change rooms, already fully suited up, as always.  
  
"How's the family?" Rico asked.  
  
After we had been given the 72 hours of R 'n R SICON had permitted T'phai to go stateside -er, well, HIS stateside- for a little while.  
  
"I was only home long enough to breath outside of my suite," T'phai replied, trying not to look downcast. "I was retrieved almost immediately."  
  
"Oh," Rico murmured apologetically. "Sorry."  
  
T'phai nodded his head acceptingly, "it is alright."  
  
"Don't worry, you'll get to see them soon," I patted his shoulder sympathetically. "Hey, either you can finish R 'n R there, OR we'll finish this whole damn war and you'll see them whenever you want!"  
  
"Maybe even both," Gossard added.  
  
"Something I will be looking forward to." T'phai made the skinny equivalent of a smile.  
  
"Something we'll ALL be looking forward to," Rico replied.  
  
"I'll second that," Doc agreed.  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Higgins, with his camera, as always, another limb eternally attached to his eye spun around to take in the full extent of the scenery. On the other hand, this time, I couldn't really blame him. We were ALL surveying the scenery in a type of awe as the ship that had dropped us off disappeared into the clouds.  
  
"THIS place is infested?" Higgins gaped.  
  
"Lucky you aren't doing the Christmas report," Rico replied. "People would never believe it. . .I don't believe it."  
  
The place wasn't huge and you could probably find somewhere a bit more beautiful, but everything was so serene . . . tranquil . . . and I had my doubts about a more beautiful place because of the blanket of snow that had drifted over everything. It was like completely still water in the middle of a heat wave (though without the heat) and you just know that if you can bear to break that calmness and plunge in it would be a nice, cool refuge and would fully refresh you. But the bugs had made that first ripple and suddenly the water didn't seem quite so refreshing anymore and a huge battle wasn't exactly going to calm that ripple down and turn it back into a cool refuge. But hell, I'm not exactly the calm-down-type anyway.  
  
RICO:  
  
"Gossard, Doc, status?" I said, forcing myself to be the first to snap out of the trance we all seemed to be under.  
  
"What the - "  
  
"What?!" I snapped, suddenly focused and less interested in our surroundings.  
  
"We're. . .surrounded," Gossard replied hollowly. "But, there's activity right on top of us, too."  
  
"Tunnels?" Dizzy suggested.  
  
"Trees?" Max asked, looking around, more than a little frantic.  
  
On instinct ¾ of us looked up at the trees around us, ready to grab our weapons at any sign of movement. Nothing.  
  
'Think fast, think fast,' I ordered myself, but my mind was completely blank. 'Shit.'  
  
"It must be tunnels," T'phai said, easing out of his tense stance slowly.  
  
"It could be an aerial assault," I argued. "But that would be here by now," I glanced quickly at the sky anyway. "If we just rip open the ground and they're there then we've got a full scale attack on our hands." 'Way to state the obvious, genius,' I chided. "So what's the PLAN?" Max demanded.  
  
Every instinct in me wanted to yell: I'M WORKING ON IT! But I bit my tongue, partly because I was developing a new instinct and partly because I'd caught Dizzy's eye and seen the same reaction in her, but somehow, for some reason, SHE had kept HER mouth shut. As I looked around at the - MY squad's faces I could see the same reactions there as well.  
  
"Two groups," I announced. "Zim you take Gossard, Max and T'phai, the rest of you are with me. Scout for any signs of bugs, specifically, cave entrances and nests. Radio silence until a find, or mandatory, understand?"  
  
"Sir, yes, sir!" They all chimed.  
  
"Good. Sarge. Your group heads inwards, we'll work outwards." I searched his face carefully for some sign of approval. "If you find anyTHING or anyBODY be extremely cautious! Remember: on top of everything else, Intel. suspects new tactics. Move out." 


	6. higgins under attack

DOC:  
  
It's hard to believe that the bug war had actually come home, let alone to a place like THIS. It was like a winter wonderland. On the bright side we still hadn't found anything but a lot of cliffs that dropped away into the water and neither had the other squads on the Islands, (they had radioed about our status recently).  
  
"I wish it would snow," Dizzy said, way too happily considering that we'd been taken out of our R 'n R prematurely, but I guess that's Dizzy for you.  
  
"Why?" Higgins asked, "wouldn't that just make this more difficult?"  
  
She rolled her eyes, "sure, if you look on the DOWN side. It's Christmas, it's supposed to snow!" She punched his shoulder lightly.  
  
Rico grinned down at her. "There's already snow on the ground, Diz."  
  
"Yeah, but still..."  
  
"Sure," he mimicked, "look on the DOWN side."  
  
Laughing lightly she rolled her eyes again.  
  
Higgins and I glanced at each other but kept our mouths shut. I wondered why I hadn't noticed how much closer they were standing to each other than the rest of us. I DID exclude the fact that I was in a marauder, but still, poor little Higgins was all on his own. . . Somehow I had the feeling he'd get over it.  
  
I glanced again at my monitors, as I'm required to do periodically no matter how pointless it seems, and stopped short. "Shh," I cut into their conversation, which had continued though I'd stopped listening.  
  
Everybody froze and stared at me expectantly, hands inching nervously towards their rifles.  
  
"There's someone," I began, "or someTHING coming this way. It's on it's own and it looks. . .um, it looks human."  
  
"Oh great," Higgins groaned under his breath.  
  
"No, I mean it has vital signs and everything," I replied.  
  
"You have machines for stuff like that?" Higgins questioned, startled. "Like you could tell if my heart rate sped up or slowed down or anything like that?"  
  
I shrugged, "um, yeah, I guess so."  
  
"It could be one of the people who works here," Dizzy suggested.  
  
"I don't care HOW human it looks," Rico said, "keep your guards up."  
  
HIGGINS:  
  
"You gotta help me!" An obviously female voice screamed as the bushes and shrubbery in front of us began to shift.  
  
I froze and an eerie shiver pricked along my spine. Sometimes I feel safe when I'm with the squad on a mission, but more often I feel terrified out of my mind and I wish that I'd never taken this dumb job, however this feeling of not knowing anything except that something was up and coming my way was worst of all.  
  
All of a sudden the leaves directly in front of me broke apart and a blonde streak flashed before my eyes. Seconds later I lay flat on my back and despite my frantic gasps I couldn't seem to breathe. 


	7. not really a bug

HIGGINS:  
  
"Get it off!" I screamed. Something was on me and they wouldn't help me. . . WHY wouldn't anybody help me?! I felt so helpless I might as well have just lain still and let it kill me.  
  
Dizzy snickered, "quick get her off him before he finds his rifle. . . If he ever does."  
  
Rico sounded as though he was stifling a laugh as well. "You wanna lift her, or shall I?"  
  
"Only if it's an order." Dizzy replied defiantly, and after a slight pause, "Oh, all right, fine."  
  
The weight on top of me was slowly rolled to the side and gradually the darkness seemed to develop more of a blonde tint until finally I was staring straight up at two human faces, one marauder and snow-engulfed branches.  
  
I breathed heavily, "Well thanks for your concern! That thing could've killed me and all you could do was stand there laughing and. . ." Out of the corner of my eye I could see what looked vaguely like a crumpled blond figure. Slowly I turned my head, that thing didn't look much like a bug at all. . . Oh-oh. 'It' was actually a casually dressed blonde girl, maybe about my age. I gulped, oops. "Uh. . .sh-SHE was what hit me?" I asked meekly.  
  
RICO:  
  
"Sorry Higgins, your brush with death wasn't as close as you thought," I grinned widely, barely able to keep from laughing.  
  
He looked down sheepishly.  
  
Bighting her lip to keep the laughter in as well, Dizzy knelt beside him and put a hand on his shoulder, "don't worry about it Bobby. You're OK, right?"  
  
"Yeah," he replied slowly. "I'm fine."  
  
"See," she smiled reassuringly at him. Looking up at me she motioned with her head towards the blonde, "what do you think LT?"  
  
"Uh," I looked briefly at the blond and looked back at Dizzy. The blond girl looked like one of your typical high school heartthrobs. Long, straight blond hair, a bunch of makeup over what I could only predict would be bright blue eyes and yet, somehow, with one look at my best friend, it she really didn't seem to matter. That girl was hot, sure, but there was just something missing. . . 'WHAT? Damn it Rico, what was that?! You said no, she said no, nothing's ever going to happen. You're over that, remember?'  
  
"Rico," Dizzy rose and waved her hand in front of my eyes. Tapping my helmet she said, "Helloooo? You in there?"  
  
"S-sorry," I blushed a little and tried to hide it. "Um, what," I cleared my throat and scratched the back of my neck, "what did you say again?"  
  
Smiling she rolled her eyes and met mine. "Something distractin' you Johnny?" she asked innocently, though I think she moved a little closer as she said it. Finally, after what seemed like she'd enjoyed a colossal pause, though she was probably just waiting for a response, she raised her eyebrows and said, "Unconscious blonde, potentially dangerous, ring a bell?"  
  
"Um." I tried to avoid looking at her by looking over her shoulder at the girl, " I think she's coming around." 


	8. i don't trust her

DIZZY:  
  
I shook my head with a smile on my face as I turned to the slowly reviving girl. What the? Shit. She wasn't just coming around now. From under her slit, innocently powdered eyelids she was watching all of us.  
  
Before Rico could rush past me I caught his arm and stared directly into his eyes, except this time, instead of with a teasing intent, dead serious. "She's not JUST comin' around, Rico," I hissed as quietly as possible, "she's been watching us."  
  
Rico glanced at Doc who nodded ever so slightly and motioned at his readings out of the girl's limited vision.  
  
"Um, OK Diz, you watch her." Rico said after a thoughtful pause. "Don't let her out of your sight and try to talk to her."  
  
"Why me?" I demanded, "What am I supposed to say?"  
  
"I dunno," Rico shrugged, "girl talk?"  
  
I groaned, "you're as bad as Bruto, you know that Johnny?"  
  
"But first," he ignored me, "contact the others and get them over here, pronto."  
  
"Yes, sir," I replied on instinct. God, he could sound so much like Razaak when he wanted to.  
  
MAX:  
  
"Nothin'!" I exclaimed, "same as the last mound of absolutely useless rocks." This was some important assignment! Grr! They interrupted our R 'n R for THIS? How many times do I have to tell people that I signed up here to KILL bugs and take my much needed breaks where I can find them, NOT to look like some idiot on a 'secret mission' standing around lamely looking for them.  
  
"Sarge?" Dizzy's voice came on over the com. link. "Come in."  
  
"Tell me you've found SOMETHING!" I practically yelled into the intercom.  
  
"What the hell?! Loud enough! You tryin' to kill me over here Max?" Dizzy demanded in a sharp hiss.  
  
"Well there's nothing ELSE threatening the world as we know it from where I'M standing!" I snapped.  
  
"And you consider that a BAD thing?" she growled exasperatedly. "Just shut up for a second kid. Sarge? Goss? T'phai? Somebody SANE?!"  
  
I frowned but kept my mouth shut, I mean what the heck she IS the LT's girlfriend. OOPS did I say that and break some stupid unwritten law against mentioning anything to do with their bizarre relationship? Oh well, somebody had to.  
  
GOSSARD:  
  
Does that kid ever shut up?! MAN!  
  
"OK, I'm here," I said. "Go."  
  
"Look we haven't found any bugs, but we've run into this civilian and you guys are supposed to get here, asap, LT's orders." She said quickly in a hushed voice.  
  
"Understood." Zim jumped in. "What are your coordinates?"  
  
"We are currently stationary at." Dizzy paused before spilling her coordinates.  
  
"Got it," I said.  
  
"Good," she replied, "over and out."  
  
"Over and out," I repeated and the link went dead. 


	9. i tried, i failed, can we just move on?

I have a question. Near the end of the show Carl is sort of back and I can't figure it out, is he part of their squad again or is there just some way he keeps showing up? If he is, sorry I'll find some way to add him in and if he isn't I may find some way to add him in.who can tell. Anyway you don't necessarily have to review (though that would be nice) but could somebody please answer the question for me?  
  
DOC:  
  
I don't know how often I'm on Dizzy's side, but this time was definitely one of them! I mean a) there's obviously something weird going on down here, if there were that many bugs generally they'd figure out we were here and come get us, plus there's this whole equipment failure thing; b) we're supposed to be on the look out for ANYTHING and that has to mean something more than just 'be on your guard' because when you're a trooper you're supposed to ALWAYS be on your guard, it's in the contract or something; c) this girl comes out of the woods screaming bloody murder, yet I still see no bugs; d) she pretends to be unconscious so she can look us over; and finally e) now it's as though she'd just come across us on an afternoon stroll through the woods and there never really were any scary bugs chasing her, or anywhere for that matter. Overall sometimes two and two really DO add up to four. In any case Dizzy wasn't going to be the ONLY one keeping an eye on her. . .in fact, at the moment the only one of us who seemed to have let his guard down was Higgins.  
  
"Are you OK?" he was asking her in a soft voice. "I hope I didn't hurt you."  
  
Dizzy coughed sharply behind him, stifling a laugh.  
  
"I'm fine," the girl said, equally sweetly. "Don't worry about it. . .um," she glanced at his helmet, "Higgins."  
  
"Oh, yeah, well, you can call me Bobby," Higgins shrugged.  
  
"OK," she smiled, "I'm Sandrine."  
  
"Uh, hi Sandrine," Dizzy jumped in sounding nice but still managing to cut off and shaking the hand that was going for Higgins' arm. "Name's Flores. Friends," she tried not to stress the word too much, "call me Dizzy."  
  
Good 'ol Dizzy, when it comes down to it she's there to protect the people who need it 95% of the time, then again I wouldn't want to be the one getting on her bad side.  
  
"Um, hi?" Sandrine murmured, icy cold in that 'uh, was I talking to YOU?' type of tone.  
  
"Yeah, and the guy in the marauder is Doc," Dizzy motioned at me, seemingly unperturbed, "and that's R-uh- Lieutenant Rico. Um. . ."  
  
I groaned inwardly, if this Sandrine girl were any smarter she would have gotten the picture that we knew she hadn't just returned to the conscious world and that her health wasn't exactly what you'd call top priority. Then again, stupid or no, unless somebody did something. . .  
  
"Her blood pressure's fine, brainwaves seem to be functioning normally, I don't really think that it's necessary that I get out and check you over, you're fine." I announced off the top of my head. I didn't need to look at my reading's they'd been fine for the past 15 minutes.  
  
DIZZY:  
  
I hate this! Not only do I not trust OR like this girl, but Higgins was falling for her hook, line and sinker, what did I expect? As if befriending ONE prom queen wasn't bad enough now I had another one on my hands?  
  
"Just a little shocked, I guess," she shrugged innocently at the guys, her back continually turned to me.  
  
"What happened?" Higgins questioned, completely sincere and concerned.  
  
"I'm not really sure, I just saw th-this HIDEOUS creature and it charged strait at me an-and I thought I was done for," her voice cracked lightly and fake tears came to her eyes. "I've never been so scared in my life." She fell forward and wrapped her arms around Higgins neck.  
  
"Awww," I knelt down to level my face with hers where it hung over Higgins shoulder. "And yet you chose a career that sent you to DANGEROUS wildlife reserves. Didn't even try to be an actress or anything." I shrugged and patted her back, realizing somewhere in the back of my mind that I should PROBABLY shut up and stop letting my mouth run wild. "Don't worry, Higgins here can take care of you, can't cha Higgins? No more dangerous slugs and snails near this little girl, right?"  
  
Sandrine's eyes opened slightly just enough for her to glare at me through the slits in which she had originally surveyed us.  
  
I leapt backwards. 'Holy shit, I KNOW I've seen eyes like that before!'  
  
I turned my back and headed over to where Doc stood and gave him a look that could've melted the entire marauder. Doc nodded his agreement, but before he could say anything Rico approached us.  
  
"What was that? What happened?" he asked quietly but still sternly.  
  
"Look, I tried, I failed, lets move on," I replied. "Higgins can talk to her."  
  
Rico and Doc both raised their eyebrows at me.  
  
"And if she IS bad news?" Doc persisted.  
  
"He can handle himself?" I suggested half-heartedly. "Well HE got himself into this!" I groaned, I'd already lost this one and they both knew it. I looked from Doc's expression to Rico's and back again. . . "All right, FINE." I sighed. "I'll keep an extra eye on them, but don't expect me to be nice. . . I don't see why either of YOU can't do it though."  
  
"Doc's in a marauder he can't exactly jump out at any given time and I'm the LT," Rico replied.  
  
"And that just speaks for itself, right?" I asked, with a smile beginning at the corners of my mouth as my dark mood lightened a little.  
  
He shrugged, "pretty much."  
  
I rolled my eyes. "OK, fine, I'll keep an eye on them and make sure Higgins doesn't get too involved until we know for sure she's OK. . . She is OK, isn't she Doc? No bugs in her neck or anything?"  
  
"Nope, if it's anything it's something different," he replied.  
  
"Yeah, who knows, maybe she's just a really flirty, manipulative bitch," I suggested. "It's happened before."  
  
"But what are the odds it would happen on a deserted island infested by bugs?" Rico asked.  
  
"That's what I'm worried about." 


	10. innocent until proven COMPLEATLY guilty,...

ZIM  
  
"Who's the chick?" Max wondered out loud.  
  
"I'm thinking probably the civilian they ran into," Gossard replied dryly.  
  
I shifted the foliage in front of my face so I could see and discovered he was right, there was a young woman sitting with the LT's group. I had been pre-maturely prepared to contact the LT and inform him that we would be at his location within two minutes, but that feeling in the pit of my stomach had forbid it, so there we were, practically sneaking up on our own squad.  
  
I shook my head viciously; I was just being paranoid!  
  
"T'phai, inform the Lieutenant that we're coming, ETA two minutes," I ordered. "Lets go."  
  
"Talk about your blonde bombshells," Max breathed.  
  
"Yeah," Gossard scoffed. "Looks like she already blew up Higgins and he's too distracted to pick himself up again."  
  
DIZZY:  
  
"What's the good word LT?"  
  
"Zim's group is going to rendezvous with us here in two minutes," Rico replied.  
  
"No complaints here," I shrugged, glancing over my shoulder at Higgins and Sandrine. "THAT is what I have complaints about. You can't honestly tell me you trust her."  
  
"You can't honestly give me a reason not to," he replied.  
  
"OK, for example: her eyes." I trailed off. "They look like.They ARE." I shuddered. "They're deep black, cold, heartless, vicious, blood thirsty. . .God, Rico, they look just like a bug's!"  
  
Rico eyed me skeptically with his: 'have you been out in the sun too long look'. I glared back; please, the sun down there was completely covered and it looked nearly ready to snow again.  
  
"Hey, don't take MY word for it, you want to have a look? Be my guest." I shrugged. "That's IF she even meets your eyes without throwing herself on you, too." That gave me a slight pause and left me wondering what his reaction would be if Sandrine DID throw herself at him.  
  
"Look, Diz, I didn't say I DID trust her, I just said that I have no legitimate reason NOT to trust her," Rico said calmly.  
  
"Except that she just sat there, watching us, for about five minutes pretending to be unconscious and has mentioned the bugs all of once since she 'came around'. But still you're telling me that basically we have to sit and wait until she tries to attack us and THEN you'll not trust her. Well, I gotta hand it to you Rico, you really are starting to think like an Intel. Officer."  
  
"Ha!" Rico retorted. "Some compliment!"  
  
"Who said anything about compliments?" I replied.  
  
DOC:  
  
I could read the rest of the squad coming up, out of the bushes, though I'm not quite sure how much stalk I was putting in my equipment. It told me there were bugs everywhere, yet not a bug to be seen, heard, killed or otherwise. It was telling me that Sandrine was OK, nothing wrong with her at all, and yet she was the thing worrying me most.  
  
I sighed, returning to listening to the conversation going on between Dizzy and Rico. It wasn't like I was eavesdropping, I could jump in at any time; I just didn't plan on it. My soul intention was to keep an eye on the two kids and try to prevent any upcoming fight(s).  
  
"You're the biggest pain in the ass," Dizzy informed him. "I hope you know that."  
  
"Yeah, even when I'm acting as the responsible LT I can't manage to hide it," he replied part mockingly, though I could see the beginning of a smile on his face.  
  
She rolled her eyes, trying to hide the smile tugging at her own lips. "ESPECIALLY when you're acting as the responsible LT, and don't patronize me Rico."  
  
"But that'll take all the fun out of it," he replied, the smile winning the battle that had taken place on his face.  
  
Shaking her head Dizzy couldn't help but smile back, "really do hate you."  
  
"Yeah, I know."  
  
RICO:  
  
"Oh my goodness! Oh my goodness!" Sandrine cried jumping to her feet. "Oh my goodness!" She began flailing her hands about loosely as though trying to dry freshly applied nail polish.  
  
"What?" I demanded gruffly. "What's wrong?"  
  
"Th-the," she stuttered. "There are, um, people back at my base. It's like a cabin, out there." She pointed vaguely towards some tree. "We - we have to go there, we have to help them!"  
  
"Look, we're waiting to rendezvous with the remainder of our squad," I replied. "They get here and then we'll go see if they're still there."  
  
"No! We can't wait!" Sandrine insisted. "Who's the manager here?" she demanded, stomping her foot like a snobby, unsatisfied customer at the supermarket.  
  
"I'M the Lieutenant," I snapped, realizing just why Dizzy had taken such a disliking to her in the first place. "And we are waiting HERE for the rest of my squad, understand?"  
  
"But -"  
  
"Look who ever MAY be out there has been out there long enough," 'while you were snuggling with Higgins,' I added silently, "that an extra 10 minutes isn't going to hurt them if they're even still there to be hurt. The rest of my squad is still alive and at the moment more important." I was dangerously close to finishing with 'than any wild goose chase that you could be leading us on'. "Do you understand?"  
  
"I -" she glared at me defiantly, somehow without actually meeting my eyes, "yes, sir."  
  
I nodded curtly and left her to Higgins.  
  
DIZZY:  
  
I grinned, 'finally!'  
  
"She deserved it," I said bluntly to Doc. "Seriously," I lowered my voice, "don't you think if they were that important to her she would have thought of them the second she gained consciousness?"  
  
He nodded, "exactly."  
  
"I'm gonna go talk to Higgins and see what set her off 'remembering' in the first place," I said, turning to leave.  
  
"If that's what it takes to get 'proof not to trust her' then I'm for it," he replied supportively.  
  
"As if we need proof," I scoffed. 


	11. I guess I just have to wait for things t...

HIGGINS:  
  
"I didn't DO anything, Diz!"  
  
"Normal people don't generally act like that," she replied.  
  
We'd been exchanging comments like these ever since Sandrine's outburst and we were both getting more and more frustrated. I mean, I don't see how I could possibly have triggered that; I've had enough trouble with REAL bombs!  
  
"How would you know anything about how NORMAL people act?" I demanded suddenly, aggravated.  
  
She raised an eyebrow. "Don't push your luck, Higgins," she virtually hissed. "I'm not here 'cause YOU did something wrong, I'm here because SHE'S flighty and there's something seriously wrong with HER and obviously SOMETHING had to set her off so just tell me what you said!" Somehow Dizzy had grown about 8 ft. taller and I had the feeling the look in her eyes would killed me if I looked straight at them.  
  
'WHY did I do a stupid thing like THAT?' Until then her argument hadn't been anything other than full of concern for some unknown thing.  
  
"We - uh - we were talking and I asked her - really nicely - how she ever managed to escape and she just went off like a ten dollar alarm clock, OK?" I replied.  
  
"That's it?" she asked.  
  
"That's it."  
  
"Doesn't that just seem the SLIGHTEST bit weird to you?" she demanded.  
  
I shrugged, "not really. . .?"  
  
"Lieutenant?" The voice sounded suddenly in our ears cutting off anything Dizzy was about to say. There was an extended pause for a response and then, again: "Lieutenant?!" more urgently this time.  
  
Dizzy turned around to look pointedly at Rico, trying to catch his eye.  
  
"Oh!" I heard him say quietly. Pushing a button on the side of his helmet he spoke louder and more clearly over the com. "Talk to me T'phai."  
  
Dizzy rolled her eyes as she turned back to me with a smirk and a quick shake of her head.  
  
"That'll be them coming back," she said.  
  
I nodded. "Probably."  
  
After an uncomfortable pause she finally continued what we had been discussing before. "Look, Higgins, I know you didn't MEAN to set her off or anything, she just sorta went off. You probably just reminded her of something she forgot, though I don't see how she ever could have forgotten that in the first place. "And, well," she looked exasperated, "Just, just keep an eye on her OK?"  
  
"Fine, Diz, but she seems perfectly harmless-"  
  
She grimaced slightly, "whatever you say."  
  
"No, I mean it!" I snapped. "She's really nice."  
  
She groaned loudly, "Fine! Just be careful, OK?"  
  
I gave up, "ok, I will." Dizzy didn't HAVE to approve of Sandrine; everybody has the right to his or her own opinion, right? I mean, I know that Dizzy was really just trying to look out for me 'n everything, but I just couldn't see what she thought could possibly be wrong.  
  
DIZZY:  
  
Maybe she is OK. I mean I just can't see Higgins being THAT naïve. But. . . I don't know. The only thing I can really do is wait for things to happen; I hate that! 


	12. you may laugh now -

Hey! I just wanted to say thanks so much for all your fantastic reviews! I really appreciate them! Thanks for reading, and keep on writing!  
  
ZIM:  
  
We had caught up with the rest of the squad and, under Sandrine's persuasion, were now heading in the general direction her friends, allegedly, still were.  
  
Dizzy and Doc were both doing their best to ignore Sandrine and their tense feelings, Higgins, on the other hand, was falling all over himself to do her every bidding. Rico was unreadable, (then again I hadn't spoken with him yet,) and the group that had come with me was looking confused and completely unsure of what to think, I didn't feel dissimilar.  
  
Dizzy approached Rico calmly, though she spared a quick glance in Sandrine's direction. "Look," she said, just loud enough for me to pick up on, "all Higgins did was ask her how she had managed to escape and suddenly she went berserk."  
  
Rico rolled his eyes. "NO!" He gasped sarcastically. "Quick get the ax, lets execute her!"  
  
"Oooh!" Dizzy smirked, "Sounds like a plan! But do you think SICON could spare us those brief moments from the desperate situation down here that they so politely hauled us away from our R 'n R for?"  
  
Rico returned the half-smile, "I didn't expect you, of all people, to be complaining about that."  
  
"Yeah, well, I guess it just goes to show that I was right about what I've been telling you all these years," she shrugged. "Which would be?" he asked skeptically. "You have GOT to take that thing in your head out for exercise more often!" and slapped the back of his helmet just hard enough to make him stumble forward slightly, leaping sideways to avoid retaliation.  
  
"Hey!" He cried, stopping himself from lunging after her as he remembered himself at the last second, consequently tripping over his own feet and falling forward.  
  
Laughing, Dizzy caught him and looped an arm across his wavering shoulders to steady him, though she was unable to find the air to make any more noise than the giggles that wouldn't stop coming.  
  
T'phai, Doc and Gossard's shoulders heaved in stifled laughter while Higgins and Max snorted behind their hands and even I could barely hold the amusement back as my stomach vibrated with silent laughter. I didn't think to look at Sandrine.  
  
So much for military discipline, this is generally NOT the kind of attitude that is expected from troopers, especially ranking ones, when on a mission and in other circumstances I might have chastised them. However we'd been down there for hours and not seen a single bug, so I couldn't particularly blame them if their attention was starting to waver, this wasn't boot camp anymore and on the other hand I no longer outranked Rico. A pink tinge entered Rico's cheeks for a brief moment, but was quickly replaced by a grin of his own. When, suddenly, the reason why became very apparent . . .  
  
SPLAT!  
  
Dizzy spluttered spitting snow from her mouth while Rico had his chance to laugh and took full advantage of it.  
  
"Ah!" Dizzy exclaimed. "You may laugh now but -"  
  
"Trouble," a deep voice echoed through the laughter like a razor sharp knife.  
  
Every one froze, nerves tingling as their blood ran cold and everybody reached for their rifles. 


	13. I mean they were, but...now they're not

GOSSARD:  
  
"Where?" Rico demanded, taking immediate charge, his rifle out, ready, and a good distance between him and an equally prepared Dizzy.  
  
I gaped at my sensors. Not two seconds ago they had indicated advancing, pissed-off, bugs and I swear I had seen a claw protruding from a bush. But the second the warning had left my lips it was gone like some random hallucination. There was no advancing bug and my scanners were denying all that they had just shown and were now displayed everything as being normal . . . Or as normal as things can appear on a scanner that claims that we're surrounded by a million bugs that we can't see and that don't seem to be taking any notice of us.  
  
I glanced briefly at Doc, though it was long enough to see the same confused look on his face that must have been displayed on mine.  
  
"Gossard! Doc!" Rico snapped loudly, bringing us around. "Where are they?!"  
  
"I - um - well," I stuttered, bewildered. "They - they're not coming. I mean, they were, but now their not and it says they never were."  
  
"Say WHAT?" Dizzy murmured.  
  
"So - we're safe?" Rico asked, looking skeptical.  
  
"What's you're definition of safe?" I retorted.  
  
"If we're PERFECTLY safe can we PLEASE keep going?!" Sandrine interrupted in a whiny insistent voice, moving in closer to Rico. "I'm so worried about my friends!"  
  
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Dizzy rolled her eyes at me as we moved out, putting on an obnoxious voice. "'I'm soooo worried about my friends!' Right!" She sighed and shook her head. "Poor Higgins."  
  
I wasn't sure that Higgins was the first thing she was worried about with Sandrine batting her eyelashes and hitting on Rico, but any other reason she might have be angry she seemed quite happy to keep to herself.  
  
"Yeah," I agreed, looking sympathetically in his direction. "Poor kid. He - " I froze mid-sentence.  
  
"What?" Dizzy asked, turning her gaze from Higgins to look in the same direction as me. "Are you O . . . k-ay," she barely breathed the last syllable.  
  
T'PHAI  
  
"Oh, gosh Rico, isn't it beautiful?" Sandrine asked, grabbing his arm as she gasped in 'awe'. "That over there is where we have to go."  
  
As we had turned a sharp bend the trees had suddenly thinned and the ground had dropped away to form an immense cliff, which we had nearly been lead right over. The water seemed to stretch right into the sky as it swirled away, white frothy crests breaking the tops of waves for as far as the eye could see. The cliff curved around a bay of water into a point across from us with a small building on its tip. This building was the place that Sandrine was so enthusiastically pointing at with one hand while she used the other to cling to our Lieutenant's arm.  
  
It WAS beautiful, but Sandrine's behavior was odd as she gushed about the scene before us as though she'd never seen anything like it in her life. She had supposedly been here many times before and she was our guide, so one would surmise that she would have known this would be here and therefore would have been more prepared. Besides, to travel from our last location to that small building could have been made, most likely, a lot quicker by taking a different route.  
  
Most of these thoughts were exactly what an annoyed Max voiced to me, though with different terminology.  
  
I nodded agreement. "Are most civilians this . . . " I cocked my head to the side a little as I watched her, "odd?"  
  
Max shook his head. "Not all of them, not unless they have a reason for it."  
  
I thought that over for a moment but before I could come up with an appropriate response the LT was speaking.  
  
"Are there any caves coming out of these cliffs?" he asked Sandrine casually.  
  
"Er - not that I'm aware of," she replied, smiling innocently up at him.  
  
He didn't return it. "Oh? Well then I guess you'll want to get moving, huh?" he asked coldly.  
  
"I - " she sounded startled. "Yes, yes I think that would be best."  
  
Rico looked over Sandrine's shoulder, considering. Finally meeting Zim's eye the older, more experienced man nodded slightly. Only enough so to catch if one were watching intently for it, (which just about everybody but Sandrine was).  
  
"Alright, Sergeant Zim will escort you and you will both report back here once you've finished. If you find anyone that can be brought back bring them, or radio if you need assistance." Rico replied, moving past her.  
  
Zim stepped forward, taking her by the elbow to lead a reluctant Sandrine away at a march.  
  
"What about radio silence?" Max hissed to me. "The bugs could pick up on the signal."  
  
"True," I replied, "but if those scanners are anywhere NEAR correct they already know we're here." 


	14. for an elephant ride? sure, anytime

DOC:  
  
"Doc, Gossard, Higgins," Rico was splitting us up again. "I want the three of you to scan this area. Something's wrong with the scanners so you're going to have to do it yourselves. Stay close enough to this position that if you need help someone can be there within a minute and vice-versa. Look out for anything that could be even remotely related to bugs and for the rest of the people that are supposed to be down here. If that's one of their buildings then they might be around here somewhere."  
  
'Oh yeah, another Sandrine, that's just what Higgins needs!' I thought sarcastically.  
  
"Rendezvous here in 20 minutes. If it's necessary or you find anything or anyone, radio," he ordered. "Understand?"  
  
"Sir, yes sir," we barked in unison.  
  
"Good. Move out."  
  
It suddenly occurred to me what Rico's real reason for splitting us up again and just what the rest of them were going to be doing while we were gone. We were the guard dogs. The odds were we would see and know of any threatening activity and be able to at LEAST warn the rest of the squad before hand. Or if, somehow, we didn't see the threat we were still the hidden backup that could come tromping to the rescue 'within a minute'. The rest of the squad was going to go over the edge of that cliff to investigate the caves that 'weren't there'. It made sense, with reports of bugs everywhere and no nest in sight they had to be somewhere and under the ground was as good a place as any. And, if they were under the ground, there had to be a way for them to come out and, especially with no nest in sight, caves would definitely be the best option.  
  
"Meanwhile our R 'n R time is gradually diminishing and at the rate we're going it's going to be long over before we can even get back up there," Gossard was saying.  
  
"Whoever said war was fair was off his rocker," Higgins agreed.  
  
"The phrase is 'EVERYTHING'S fair in love and war,'" I corrected, "Not 'war is fair'."  
  
"Big difference," He grumbled.  
  
"What? Between the two phrases or between love and war being fair?" Gossard asked and immediately looked as though he regretted it.  
  
I winced at the look on Higgins face. 'Real tactful, Gossard!'  
  
"Nothing's fair in either," Higgins growled, not something very common from him, but a growl none-the-less.  
  
MAX:  
  
Lieutenant Rico had paired us off as such: me 'n the skinny and Dizzy 'n himself. Big surprise. We were supposed to work our way along the right side of the cliff searching bit by bit for some sort of caves that the bugs could use to get in and out of the ground. To Rico's credit it did make sense.  
  
"How far should we go before we start?" I asked.  
  
"Here will do," T'phai replied, already stopping even as I asked the question.  
  
"What happens if we do find a cave anyway?" I asked after a brief pause. "I mean, yay, great, we found an entrance, but then what?"  
  
"Then we radio the LT and he will tell us what to do," T'phai replied patiently. "My guess is that we would wait for the rest of the squad and then proceed to search, carefully, within, or to wait and then try to track the tunnels from above."  
  
"Oh," I nodded. "But, T'phai, what if the cave entrance is guarded?"  
  
"The odds are it will be." His voice was so aggravatingly calm!  
  
"Oh fantastic!" I muttered half to myself. "Not ONLY are we leaping over a cliff, but we're going blindly and, possibly, RIGHT into the enemies hands. Claws. Whatever."  
  
"I suppose you signed up to sit on frilly pillows and be paraded around on an elephant's back while eating grapes or some other small fruit?" he retorted evenly, without even looking up.  
  
I stopped short, staring first at my father's friend in surprise and then smiling cockily at T'phai. "Please! I expect to be hand fed those grapes by scantily clad women."  
  
T'phai chuckled lightly, "You become more like your father every time you open your mouth. Are you ready."  
  
"For an elephant ride? Sure, anytime."  
  
T'phai shot the end of his lizard line into the earth at our feet which drilled snuggly in on impact. Looking up at me expectantly he waited for my lizard line's drill to snuggle into the ground as well before he gestured over the cliff, saying: "After you." 


	15. my imagination

DIZZY  
  
"What are you waiting for?" I called, one foot poised to drop over the edge. "Hurry up!"  
  
"I can't," he replied.  
  
"You can't," I repeated. "What do you MEAN 'you can't'?!"  
  
"My lizard lines are empty," he replied, gesturing at the machine he held in his hand. Every time he pressed down on the release it just wurred ineffectively.  
  
I groaned, "Why am I not surprised?" Sabotage crossed my mind, but they were just lizard lines. "So what do we do now LT?"  
  
"I'll take yours and you can stand guard up here," he replied.  
  
"Guard? Oh no, I don't think so! How about I keep my lizard lines and YOU can stand guard up here?" I demanded. I am constantly forgetting that anything Rico says CAN be considered a direct order. Oh well, my bad.  
  
"We'll switch after 10 minutes," he decided firmly.  
  
"You're the LT," I replied with a slight shrug. Using my foot that was still on sturdy ground I pushed off and leapt over the edge before he could voice any other protests.  
  
RICO:  
  
A cold chill rippled across my spine as she jumped, an image slamming into me like a body tackle with enough force to propel me backwards. For a few brief seconds that felt like millions of years all I could see was Dizzy as she toppled backwards off that bug mound in Buenos Aires. Before I could even think to remember the present I was rushing toward the edge of the cliff peering around desperately for any sight of any part of Dizzy that could mean she was still alive.  
  
Suddenly I caught site of her, in the present, heading slowly and gracefully down the face of the cliff. She was fine.  
  
I breathed a heavy sigh of relief as I sat back.  
  
'What the hell was that?' I wondered. Remembering is one thing, but that. . . that was like a flashback, and it had hit me on it's own. 'Maybe they have a brain bug on this island,' my mind suggested, but there had never been any reports of brains doing anything like that. 'There have never been any reports of scanners filled with bugs that we can't see and that continue to ignore us, either,' I reminded myself.  
  
DIZZY:  
  
I had to be careful to watch out for icy patches, especially when I was getting past the smaller bits of protruding shrubbery or easing my way around the larger bits. So far, though, that was all I had to focus on. I hadn't found one cave or any evidence of one anywhere.  
  
"Your ten minutes are almost up Flores, find anything yet?" Rico asked me over our com. link as he pocked his head over the cliff. "I'm working on it!" I replied.  
  
I figured my best bet was to aim for any bits of bushes or trees that stuck out of the cliff, barren as they may have been, some bigger one MIGHT just be the marker for a very small cave. Sure the odds were against me but -  
  
I jumped, "What was that?"  
  
Rico appeared above me once more, a much more serious look on his face this time. "What was what?"  
  
"It sounded just like. . . but it couldn't be!" I trailed off.  
  
"Couldn't be what?" Rico persisted.  
  
I shook my head, "You're gonna think I'm crazy but - "  
  
"Too late," Rico interjected.  
  
I scowled up at him, though not particularly angry. "Fine! I was probably just imagining it anyway."  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked, sounding serious once more.  
  
"Yeah," I nodded. "I mean, I'm not sure why I would imagine THAT, but it couldn't possibly have been real so what does it matter."  
  
All the same I altered my course so I could check it out. It sounded like it had come from the slight extension of rock just below me, but all I could see on it were some leafless bushes and one tiny evergreen.  
  
As I approached I could see plainly that there was no cave in behind, only a smallish dip in the wall. It did, however, appeared that someone had lost a scarf over the edge of the cliff and it had gotten caught up in one of the little bushes here, (I could see a corner of it sticking out into the open). 'Well at least it's a sign of some sort of life,' I thought.  
  
Stopping my descent so that I was level with the bushes I reached out to grab it. Abruptly the bush began to shudder beneath my fingers. I withdrew it so quickly you might have thought a rabid bug was leaping at me instead of a breeze rustling between the snow-covered branches. Even so as I reached out a second time I was careful to peal back the bushes before tugging on the end of the scarf.  
  
Suddenly the noise came again, much closer and definitely not from my imagination. With shaking hands I gingerly pulled the branches away, hoping that somehow I had been wrong, that someway the noise had come from something else. . .ANYTHING else!  
  
All of a sudden -  
  
"Oh my God!" I gasped. "RICO!" 


	16. who could do something like this?

DIZZY:  
  
  
  
"Shh, it's OK," I cooed, gradually untangling the mass of cloth, bush and skin.  
  
"Dizzy, what's wrong?" Rico demanded over the com. link, responding immediately to my call.  
  
"Is there any way you could possibly get down here?" My voice was choked; though I wasn't sure whether it was the rage I could feel welling up inside me, or the fear. "It's - it's not bugs."  
  
There was a startled pause on Rico's end of the link. "Then what is it?"  
  
"It's. . ." I paused to take a deep breath, "Oh man, you're not going to believe this."  
  
"Try me," he replied.  
  
"It's a baby."  
  
"What?!"  
  
  
  
"Sh it's going to be OK," I whispered as I moved, cautiously, back up the cliff, with the weeping baby in my arms. As I reached the top Rico helped me over the edge until I could safely get rid of my lizard lines. Slumping down against a tree I looked up at Rico, feeling beyond helpless.  
  
"What do we do?" I asked quietly as the baby began to settle down, too exhausted and weak to cry for very long. Closing my eyes I forced back whatever mixed feelings were exploding inside me, and consequently a tear along with them. "Who could ever do something like this, Johnny?"  
  
"I don't know," He replied gently, still staring at the child in disbelief as he sat down next to me. "What can we do? SICON doesn't exactly train us to deal with this kind of thing, Diz."  
  
"What? Not even when you become an officer?" I joked half-heartedly. After a pause I said, "OK, um, look, we need to get him something warm, this thing he's wearing isn't in fantastic shape after pulling him out of that bush."  
  
"Like what?" Rico replied. "What we're wearing isn't going to be the easiest thing to tare up and wrap around him."  
  
"Well, we ARE on Earth, I could just take some of this stuff off and work with what I'm wearing underneath," I suggested.  
  
"When we're completely surrounded by bugs?" Rico replied incredulously. "And not only that, but its freezing outside of your suit." He glanced at the baby. What it was wearing would have been good enough to keep him warm.ish, while he was stuck down there and it was still in tact, (it had to have been or he wouldn't still be alive,) but now it was all shredded from our struggle with the bush. "Then again. Don't we have thermal blankets or something?"  
  
We exchanged glances and said simultaneously: "Doc." 


	17. names

PLS read and review! I'm starting to feel kind of ridiculous, posting without anybody reading. So please review about anything, absolutely anything. Maybe you love it, maybe you hate it, maybe you love aspects of it and hate other aspects of it, questions, suggestions, comments, hopes, mistakes I've made etc. etc. etc.. I would REALLY appreciate it!! There are a few notes that I would also like to add about this fic. First of all I know there haven't been any DIRECT bug conflicts as of yet, but please bear with my they're coming very, very soon but if I just start throwing them in at random my plot is going to stop making sense, or less than it makes now, and I have to take it one step at a time. Also, I'm aware that a lot of these points of view are coming from Dizzy or take place in around where she is; there are a few very good reasons for this. One is that the bigger events are happening where she and Rico are and another is that as a girl it is very difficult to write from a guys point of view the way I want it to be (or for me anyway, I know there are a lot of people out there who would say otherwise and are in fact doing a fantastic job). Now I have most definitely rambled on long enough and I know that if anybody even read this it was probably mostly skimmed over so on with my REAL point of posting this: THE STORY! (or the show.or the fic.whatever, whatever)  
  
RICO:  
  
Dizzy was pacing silently back and forth with the baby in her arms as he began to fall asleep. I could literally watch the different emotions shift across her face like the weather on fast-forward.  
  
"He's coming," I said.  
  
"Nobody else?" she asked, her voice barely controlled.  
  
"No," I replied. "Right now only Doc knows. Having the whole squad around isn't going to help this situation much, or the bug one for that matter, so I'm leaving everyone else where they are for now."  
  
She nodded, her jaw set firmly though she swallowed hard against the lump in her throat while I pretended not to notice.  
  
"Do you want to talk about it?" I asked, trying to sound casual although I still had to resist the urge to jump to my feet and wrap my arms around her. Who was I kidding? I was always resisting that urge. 'Shut UP!' I ordered myself, another thing I seemed to be doing quite frequently. 'Dammit, just shut up!'  
  
"No," she replied stiffly. "It's just. . . God, Johnny, he's a BABY. Who could -" her voice cracked, "how could somebody POSSIBLY - "she trailed off, biting her lip and staring up at the sky for a moment, trying to regain her control before she continued. Somehow she was keeping her voice quiet enough not to wake the baby, but there was a dangerous mix of tears and anger in her eyes.  
  
Part of me wanted to say 'it's OK', but I couldn't, I was so far from believing it myself that it just wouldn't sound right. Instead I got to my feet and, tentatively, placed an arm across her shoulders. "Hey, you found him, didn't you? He's going to be alright," 'I hope,' "don't worry." As an after thought I did the only thing that I seemed even remotely good at with Dizzy these days, "Besides, you'll make a great mommy," I teased.  
  
She burst out laughing through her tight throat, elbowing me sharply in the gut. "Right, Rico."  
  
"No seriously Diz, as long as you don't call him 'the baby' for the rest of your lives you'll be fine." This time I dodged the swing.  
  
"But you're right," she said, sounding better, however slightly. "We should call him something other than that, I mean we don't know how long we're going to be down here for, right?"  
  
"Not very long if we keep seeing this type of action," I scoffed.  
  
"True, " she replied, "But still. . . What do you think?"  
  
"On a good day - "  
  
A rustle of leaves interrupted me and a moment later Doc was there saying, "Geeze, you were serious?"  
  
"You think we would joke about something like this?" Dizzy demanded.  
  
"Well I was wondering!" he replied, before turning to survey the baby. "Alright, thermal heaters we have, we even have a bit of food, though I'm not sure he'd take it, -"  
  
I glanced at Diz and received a sharp don't-even-think-about-it-Rico look in return.  
  
DOC:  
  
"- and diapers we definitely don't got." I concluded. "But how is he? Can I see him?"  
  
"He's sleeping," Dizzy warned much less gruffly then before as she gently passed him to me.  
  
"Good, it's probably going to be easier that way," I replied. I silently thanked who ever was listening that all my medical equipment, technological or not, was still in tact and working properly as I began to examine the baby.  
  
Actually there was a lot more to be thankful for than just my medical equipment. For one thing the baby had somehow managed to survive whatever ordeal it had been put through and for another he seemed, at the moment, relatively unscathed. He had bruised bones, though none were broken, no concussion or head injuries, besides the various scrapes that in another case might have been the least of his problems, and no frost bight. He did, however, have a bad cold, which could turn into something worse if we weren't careful and he was on the verge of hypothermia, though he did not have it yet and if I could help it he wasn't going to get it. All of these facts raised a few interesting questions though I pushed all of them aside until after I had finished working with the baby, which consisted mainly of cleaning cuts and wrapping him in a blanket or two.  
  
After I had finished taking care of him the conversation between Dizzy and Rico that I had been vaguely aware of seemed to grow louder. It didn't take much to catch the gist of it.  
  
"Guys, it's like that lost puppy that you brought home when you were 8, if you name it you could get too attached," I warned. "By the way, I'm partial to Richard."  
  
"Yeah," Rico replied, "and if you don't like that why not just go all the way and call him 'Doc'?"  
  
"Hey, if that's what you want." I shrugged; carefully sitting down beside them with the baby, still sound asleep, in my arms.  
  
Dizzy grinned, shifting to peer at him over my shoulder. "Jeeze, how do parents do this?"  
  
"How 'bout Andrew," I suggested helpfully.  
  
"He doesn't really look like an Andrew," Rico replied, somewhat thoughtfully.  
  
"Maybe just Drew?" Dizzy said. "Or maybe Mark?"  
  
I nodded, "could work."  
  
Rico, however, despite the pointed looks he received from both Dizzy and I, remained silent. He looked off into space, seemingly unaware of our eyes on him, only glancing at Dizzy every once in awhile, conveniently when she was looking away, at the baby or at me.  
  
Finally he spoke. "What about Eddie?"  
  
I stiffened a little. Now I knew what he'd been considering so thoroughly, there were only so many responses he could get to a question like that, especially with Dizzy in the equation.  
  
I found myself watching her as intently as Rico, though she met neither of our eyes. She continued to stare down at the baby, her turn to be thoughtful. Very slowly a smile began to spread across her lips.  
  
Without looking away from the baby she said, "I'd like that." Finally taking her eyes off of her brother's namesake she looked at me expectantly.  
  
"Hey, works for me," I said, realizing both she and Rico were waiting for me to make the decision unanimous. "Nice choice, Rico."  
  
RICO  
  
"Thanks," I replied.  
  
What can I say? I walk a fine line, I take chances and once in a blue moon things actually work out the way I plan.  
  
"Lieutenant Rico?"  
  
I looked up sharply. After a quick beat I reached up and pressed the com. link button on the side of my helmet.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
---------- ~*~ ---------- ~*~ ---------- ~*~ ---------- ~*~ ---------- ~*~ ---------- ~*~ ----------  
  
Another note: if you haven't already read the note at the top please skim through it, it isn't all just me pleading for reviews, though I admit that's a fair part of it, there are some notes about the fic up there as well. Thnx for reading! 


	18. WHAT!

MAX:  
  
"We're WHAT?! Then this has just been a huge waist of time!"  
  
"Correct," T'phai replied.  
  
"I - huh? Would you start talking English?" I demanded.  
  
"I believe that I was," T'phai replied, "but if you insist that I spell it out for you, fine. We are returning because other locations have elevated to top priority. Oh, and I think Rico said something about a baby."  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
HIGGINS:  
  
"WHAT?!"  
  
"That's what I said," Gossard replied.  
  
"A baby," I repeated. "How'd they wind up with a baby?"  
  
"Aren't you a little old not to know about the birds and the bees?" Gossard smirked, one skeptical eyebrow raised.  
  
I rolled my eyes, although I couldn't help the tinge of pink creeping up into my cheeks. "You know what I mean."  
  
He shrugged, "Yeah, and I have no idea. All I know is the retrieval ship is gonna be here in about three minutes "  
  
"I.e. 'let's move'?" I asked.  
  
"You got it."  
  
ZIM:  
  
Rico was just finishing organizing a rendezvous with the rest of the squad and was presumably about to radio me as I returned.  
  
I began formally, "Sergant Zim report-" but I trailed off. Now, I've seen a lot of bizarre things but nothing, not in any of my years of experience or any of those bizarre instances I've faced, could have prepared me for what I found when I returned to the LT. "Lieutenant, what is going on here?"  
  
"If I knew I'd tell you," he replied dryly. "We found him while we were searching the face of the cliff."  
  
I nodded slowly, as if I understood even slightly.  
  
"Lieutena - " Sandrine faltered as she caught sight of the baby just moments before throwing her arms around Rico's neck. " - ant. What is THAT?"  
  
Rico backed strategically away while he had the chance.  
  
GOSSARD:  
  
"'THAT'? It's a fish, Sandrine," Dizzy hissed sarcastically, her voice full of venom. "I bet it's hers. I wouldn't put it past her."  
  
"Aw, what? You don't trust her?" I asked innocently. We had returned moments before, unnoticed by Rico and Zim, and probably Sandrine for that matter.  
  
Dizzy just rolled her eyes.  
  
"What happens to him when we get back?" Higgins asked quietly, trying not to be too obvious in his change of subjects.  
  
"Orphanage, I guess," Doc replied, "but I'm not sure. I'm virtually positive this is the first bug-related incident involving a baby so they may want to inspect him. Maybe even bring in some psychics to attempt to interrogate him."  
  
"Interrogate?" Dizzy repeated. "Are you crazy, he's a baby!"  
  
"Yeah, but you know them," Doc replied.  
  
I sighed. The infamous 'them', we all know 'them'.  
  
Dizzy looked away from the scene gradually unfolding before us. "I hope they keep his name."  
  
"'Name'?" Higgins and I repeated simultaneously.  
  
"How'd he get a name?" Higgins asked.  
  
"Man, this is really your day for stupid questions, paperboy," I interjected.  
  
"I MEANT how did you find out his name?" Higgins re-phrased. "Oh! You named him yourselves? What did you call him?"  
  
"His name's Eddie," Doc replied. "Rico thought of it."  
  
I glanced over at the LT, who was steadily moving away from Sandrine at every chance he could get. I could have laughed out loud, somehow you got the feeling she was wasting her time; but I guess, to be fair, she was one of the three with us who didn't know that.  
  
"Where'd you find him?" I asked. "What if somebody's looking for him?"  
  
"Along the face of a cliff?!" Dizzy retorted incredulously.  
  
"Somehow I doubt it," Doc concurred. "Even if he DIDN'T sustain major injuries that isn't a safe place to leave your kid."  
  
I swallowed. "Oh."  
  
HIGGINS:  
  
How could anyone ever do something like that?! Eddie was a defenseless little baby that couldn't hurt a fly and somebody could - could try to get rid of him by - in that way? How? Why?!  
  
My thoughts raged on, getting more passionate by the second. I was so upset I hadn't even thought to pick up my camera, or even about what a great story the whole situation might have made.  
  
"There it is," I announced, my own voice startling me out of my thoughts. Sure enough, there it was, the retrieval ship descending through the cloudy layers towards the snow-covered ground. "What are we going to do with Sandrine?"  
  
"In what sense?" Dizzy asked.  
  
"I think she's coming with us," Doc replied calmly, though his voice was equally cold.  
  
"We could always leave her here," Gossard suggested.  
  
In the back of my mind I wondered vaguely how much of that statement was really meant as a joke.  
  
"Who would know?" he asked.  
  
"Carl," Dizzy replied. "Besides, that's too easy, somebody'd figure it out."  
  
I thought we were joking, I mean I was pretty sure. But, if we weren't joking we were all scarier than I ever could have imagined, but we were just joking . . . I thought I'd better check anyway.  
  
"Of course we're joking," Gossard replied. "We wouldn't just leave her here, she IS a human being."  
  
"Allegedly," Dizzy coughed. 


	19. is that what you thought?

HIGGINS:  
  
A few choice words sprung up from the Roughnecks as we watched the scene unfold before us in slow motion, although in reality it probably only took about 2.5 seconds. The retrieval ship had made it down to just above the height of the taller trees when something had gone wrong. Smoke billowing from its engines the ship tilted and was loosing altitude way to fast. The last glimpse we had of it was as it disappeared, spiraling down into the trees.  
  
"What just happened?" I asked unsteadily, trying to remind myself to breath.  
  
Still cursing violently Gossard rushed by me. "My beast guess? Equipment malfunction."  
  
"Roughnecks!" Rico called, "We're moving out. Gossard, Doc, you two go ahead, get out any survivors."  
  
"Yes sir," they replied simultaneously. Doc hurriedly handed Eddie off to the nearest person available, who happened to be a briefly startled looking Dizzy, before they both took off towards the area the ship had go down in.  
  
"The rest of you, lets go," Rico ordered.  
  
The Roughnecks, and eventually Sandrine, obediently fell into formation behind Rico, following our speeding mechanic and doctor at a steadier pace.  
  
"Here," Sandrine approached Dizzy, "You need your arms free, let me take - " she paused and looked sourly down at the bundle in Dizzy's arms - "*Eddie* for you."  
  
Dizzy looked her up and down with cold, skeptical eyes, "S'ok, I got it."  
  
"No, really," Sandrine persisted. "I mean, personally, I'd feel a lot safer if you just let me take him."  
  
"Look, I said I got it," Dizzy retorted sharply, keeping a tight rein on her anger.  
  
"Yeah, and I said -"  
  
"Hey," I interrupted, stopping the upcoming fight in its tracks. "Diz, you want me to hold onto Eddie for you?"  
  
I pretended not to notices as she frowned pointedly at Sandrine before handing him to me. "Yeah, sure, thanks Bobby."  
  
Sandrine made a disgruntled noise before stalking off sulkily towards someone else.  
  
"Nice save paperboy," Max noted, appearing by my left shoulder once Dizzy was out of earshot. Whether he was being sarcastic or not I couldn't tell. He looked down at Eddie, his expression softening and briefly transforming his face. "And here we were, still thinking Flores and the LT were just good friends."  
  
T'PHAI  
  
He added, perhaps in an effort to uphold the reputation he seemed determined to project.  
  
Higgins smirked, looking torn between amusement and reproach.  
  
"Hm, is that what you thought?" I asked.  
  
Max looked startled and paused, temporarily at a loss for words, for once. 


	20. nothing to do?

Thank you all for your fantastic reviews! I reeeeeeeeeally appreciate them!! :D :D :D I'm glad you seem to like it!!!  
  
GOSSARD  
  
"Nothing," Doc told the LT.  
  
"Dead?" he asked.  
  
"No, just nothing. It's like nobody was ever in the ship," Doc shook his head. "It's weird."  
  
"Nothing," Rico repeated. "Are you sure?"  
  
"At first glance," Doc shrugged.  
  
"I could try to access information from the ship's log," I suggested, "but everything seems shot."  
  
"And I could look more carefully for signs of whoever, or whatever, was in there and what happened," Doc contributed.  
  
"Is it the ship safe?" Rico demanded.  
  
"Yes sir," I replied. "That was the first thing I did when we got here."  
  
"Good," he nodded. "Do you need anybody to help you?"  
  
Doc and I exchanged glances, if we needed basic help we could give each other a hand, and anybody else might just be in the way.  
  
"I think we're good, LT," I replied, "but we'll let you know."  
  
"OK. Then get to work."  
  
"Yes sir," we chimed.  
  
"This would be so much easier if my equipment were working," I grumbled, as we headed back.  
  
"Tell me about it," Doc groaned.  
  
RICO  
  
I watched them go uncertainly. Neither of their equipment was working properly so it was going to take them a long time to figure out what had happened, if they even could. Meanwhile I felt like a sitting duck just waiting for something to happen. I knew that something was up, it had to be, but I had no idea what it was!  
  
I ordered Dizzy to make a report to HQ, but only seconds later she informed me that all she was getting was static.  
  
I groaned, "What else could go wrong?"  
  
"Sir?"  
  
"Huh? Oh, right." I said sheepishly. "Yeah?"  
  
"Permission to inspect what equipment we have that still works and what has deteriorated completely." Zim asked.  
  
I hadn't thought of that. I sent him a grateful/relieved look, hopping he could read it on my face. "Permission granted." I glanced quickly around at the Troopers. Eddie had been passed on to T'phai now. "Get Higgins to assist you."  
  
"Yes sir." He saluted quickly before moving off, grabbing Higgins, and getting immediately to work.  
  
I looked around, desperate for something to do. I found nothing. How was it possible that we were in dire circumstances and there was absolutely nothing to do?! At a loss I joined the group of apes who were left in the same predicament as myself.  
  
"Hey, how's he doing?" I asked.  
  
"Very well, I believe, considering the circumstances," T'phai replied.  
  
"Good."  
  
"Would you like to take him, Lieutenant?" I swear I saw a flash of mischief in T'phai's eyes as he said this.  
  
"Uh, no," I shook my head, unconsciously taking a step backwards. "I don't think so."  
  
Dizzy's eyebrow shot up. Up until then she'd seemed quiet and, other than a sense of wariness towards Sandrine, just as restless as me. "Why not, LT? He's just a little baby."  
  
I glared from her to T'phai. "Thanks, I'm good."  
  
"Aw c'mon, it's easy," she replied, taking the baby from T'phai and closing in on me.  
  
I fought the urge to back away as she drew closer. Before I could realize what she was doing she was standing close enough that if she whispered nobody but me would hear her.  
  
"What's s'matter, Johnny?" she teased. "Never held a baby before?"  
  
DIZZY  
  
He glared at me. "I'll drop him," he hissed.  
  
I laughed. "No you wont." Pulling myself in even closer to him I carefully placed Eddie in his hands. "Support his head."  
  
"I hate you," he whispered, looking down nervously at the baby in his arms as I removed my own.  
  
"Sure you do." I retorted, grinning at him.  
  
Looking up sharply he entrapped my gaze in his own and held it there. I tried to say something but my mouth could only form the words, no sound escaped my, suddenly very tight, throat.  
  
It took all my strength and will power to wrench my gaze away, swallowing hard. "No fair, Rico," I murmured under my breath as I distanced myself from him, not trusting myself to look back.  
  
MAX  
  
"What was that?" I smirked to T'phai.  
  
Was it just me or was Dizzy blushing? 


	21. a rock, a hard place, a wall, an ocean o...

DIZZY  
  
''Don't play with fire or you're going to get burnt', isn't that what people always say?' I mentally chastised myself. 'That was stupid Flores. We're on a mission, we've got a baby with us, we've got serious problems and we can't get off of the island or communicate with the other squads that are supposed to be around here somewhere and you manage to do something stupid! Of course! Damn Rico.'  
  
I felt so ridiculously helpless. Sure, Doc and Gossard were checking out the ship, but I could already tell you what they were going to find. I almost hopped they would find a trace of the bugs, at least then all this wouldn't feel so eerie, like a horrific nightmare that just keeps coming.  
  
"Aww, look at you," Sandrine crooned. She couldn't possibly be talking to Eddie.? "The big strong Lieutenant with the baby."  
  
I cocked an eyebrow, well at least the made more sense. The next thing I knew she was going to be fainting and fanning herself with an elaborate fan, that she would just magically produce from her back pocket, and be saying things like 'fiddle-dee-dee'. Well, why not beat her to it? I needed something to do, after all, and what better way to make yourself feel better after doing something stupid than to humiliate yourself more?  
  
"Eeek!" I cried meekly, albeit not very loudly. I put on my best southern- belle accent. "Is that a-a creature?!? Oh, my, I-I feel feint." With the back of my hand to my head in true drama queen fashion I toppled over backwards into Zim, who, somehow only seeming vaguely surprised, managed to catch me nicely.  
  
I fluttered my eyes open again, almost immediately, to the sound of good- humored clapping and a few chuckles. Continuing my mockery I 'allowed' myself to be lead to a rock just beside us and sat down promptly. Grabbing a nearby, evergreen branch from the ground I swept it by my face in a dramatic fanning motion.  
  
"Well, fiddle-dee-dee! That ain't no creature," I looked pointedly across my 'fan' at Sandrine for a brief moment, meeting her menacing look squarely. "I do declare I must have imagined it."  
  
More applause.  
  
Grinning I took the appropriate bows.  
  
Well if this isn't the most bizarre drop I ever have or ever will be on then I don't want to know what's to come in this war.  
  
HIGGINS  
  
I grinned and shook my head as I finished clapping and Dizzy took her seat again. That had been interesting, to say the least, although from my quick glance at Sandrine I could see it definitely hadn't missed it's mark.  
  
Rico was trying to stifle a laugh so as not to shake Eddie and get a little distance between him and Sandrine at the same time. Meanwhile he only looked slightly less uncomfortable and scared of the tiny thing he still held in his arms.  
  
Poor Rico, he was stuck between more than a rock and a hard place. He currently resided between a wall, a rock, a hard place, an ocean of water and a baby. Just which of his many present problems were symbolized by what I still wasn't sure, but they all fit in there.  
  
"Roughnecks?"  
  
I spun around in surprise, my muscles tense in anticipation. I was positive that hadn't been anyone in our squad.  
  
Slowly, cautiously almost, troopers began to file out of the woods.  
  
"Lieutenant Possick, Predators." The woman in the lead said calmly. "We saw your retrieval ship go down."  
  
I glanced back at the LT, baby still in hands. 'Oh, great, this isn't awkward at all!'  
  
"Lieutenant Rico," he said with as much dignity as possible. "We're glad to see you." 


	22. thinking before you speak

hey people! i'm glad you seem to be enjoying this and i hope you see this. i want to thank you so much for your reviews! i really appreciate them! :D :D  
  
PILOTSLOVER AND ANYONE ELSE WHO CARES OR THOUGHT IT AS WEIRD: i have to say also, i wasn't sure about the fainting routine myself but i NEEDED to put something. . . for certain reasons *looks innocent* you know, to keep it obvious that everyone is still irritated by Sandrine and the un-trust and whatnot. You know, she must 'have imagined it' because Sandrine 'imagined', supposedly, the bugs that chased her to them. . .I'm not sure that I'm even making any sense here, but I'm just saying I know it's weird but i needed to fill up some time and show how incredibly board they are and what a weird kind of drop it is so, bare with me! i'm working on it! ( i guess i probably should have made it more clear, Sorry ) P.S. Dizzy didn't ACTUALLY faint, it was all just part of the routine and jab at Sandrine. . .OK, as long as we're clear. . .*Mental note* be more clear! Any who, thanks for the loyal reviews! :D :D  
  
Ok, so this might be a little melodramatic, but bear in mind everything's leading up to something. . . or so they say. . . but seriously let me know if you think it's stupid and way off base!  
  
Oh! Quick question: Near the end of the show Carl is sort of back and I can't figure it out, is he part of their squad again or is there just some way he keeps showing up? If he is, sorry I'll find some way to add him in and if he isn't I may find some way to add him in. . .who can tell?  
  
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MAX:  
  
'THAT was subtle,' I thought sarcastically, still amused by Dizzy's bizarre outburst. Where had that come from? I think this place - this whole SITUATION - was getting to us.  
  
Personally, I felt totally lost. No bugs, no retrieval ship, Sandrine, who was making people act BEYOND abnormal and a BABY, meanwhile there was not only nothing to do about it, but nothing to do, period. At least the Predators, or Delta Squad, whatever, had shown up. Their Lieutenant and Sergeant were off to the side, discussing something with Rico and Zim. Maybe THEY had some vague idea of exactly what the hell was going on here.  
  
T'Phai had the baby now. T'phai was the only one here, or the only one in our squad now, who had any children. The baby in his arms, though maybe of a different species, looked somehow natural there.  
  
"I don't know how much longer I can take this," I muttered. "This is way to weird."  
  
"Try being trapped in an ice bug and having to find a source of oxygen AND fuel," Dizzy replied.  
  
T'PHAI  
  
She didn't see the sharp look he sent her at that, somewhere in between disbelief and admiration.  
  
She continued with a shake of her head, looking around at our location, "But this' a close second."  
  
"Eh-hem," someone cleared his or her throat near me.  
  
"Yes?" I replied, not looking up. I was already well aware of their presence, but with humans it is sometimes better to allow them to announce themselves.  
  
"Sorry, but is that - "  
  
"A baby?" Dizzy interjected, stepping into the conversation. "Yeah it is."  
  
"Hey," the trooper who had approached us held up his hands in defense. "No offence, -"  
  
Another stepped quickly forward from behind him, clearly with a different, less innocent, intention. Either this escaped Dizzy, or she chose to over look it. " - but what are you doin' with a baby down here, anyway?" he asked condescendingly.  
  
"Oh, you know, we thought it'd be a nice Sunday outing," she replied sarcastically, obviously on the defensive now.  
  
I glanced quickly up at Dizzy. It occurred to me that one did not have to be a mother to protect its young. I myself was beginning to feel attached to the tiny creature, and I hadn't noticed until that point that upon this troopers approach my arms had tightened, slightly, around him.  
  
"Malone," the trooper he'd pushed aside said warningly.  
  
He took no heed, his kind, I have noticed, rarely do. He raised an eyebrow and regarded her skeptically, looking her up and down. "What? Is he yours?"  
  
"Excuse me?" She exclaimed, her voice rising dangerously. "No he is not 'mine'. What the hell do you think I'd be doing bringing my kid down here?!"  
  
MAX:  
  
Now what was going on?  
  
"Oh I dunno," he shrugged, "I just though, you know, single chick in a squad full of men. . ."  
  
Dizzy stiffened visibly.  
  
Whatever vicious comment she was going to make was cut off as Doc and Gossard emerged from the ship and were immediately called over to the two Lieutenants. All attention was averted to them momentarily, but they didn't exactly look hopeful or as if they'd been enlightened in anyway as they headed over. Almost immediately they were dismissed, spreading apart and heading in separate directions. The Predators Lieutenant was already beginning to gather her troops together and the LT was heading along the same path, of course they were both still missing a few. . .  
  
"What's going on?" I asked T'phai quietly.  
  
In doing so we both managed to miss the next comments the two of them threw back and forth.  
  
"Flores!" the LT yelled.  
  
Lieutenant Possick had control over Malone as well.  
  
DIZZY  
  
"What?!" I snapped, angry and exasperated as I wheeled to face him. I caught myself at the last minute at the sight of those damn stripes. I winced and stared furiously at the snow-covered ground.  
  
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" he demanded.  
  
"It was retaliation, sir," I said formally in my own defense.  
  
"While you two were fighting, Lieutenant Possick and I have been working on what exactly we're going to do to get out of this mess without causing anymore problems, which is fine because YOU seem to be doing that for us."  
  
I opened my mouth to reply but he cut me off again.  
  
"I need you to make another attempt to contact HQ," he said gruffly through gritted teeth.  
  
"Sir, we're not going to get through to them," I protested.  
  
"That was a direct order, private."  
  
"The equipment's busted!" I snapped.  
  
"It's not up for discussion, Flores, move it."  
  
"FINE!" I exclaimed furiously. Shoving past him on my way to work on my equipment, as if it was going to help. I fumbled uselessly with the stupid equipment. Gossard couldn't do this, why should I be able to? I'm not a damned mechanic. I hit it again but all I was getting was static.  
  
Rico was still talking to the rest of the squad; probably discussing whatever plans he and Possick had come up with. Ugh! This was ridiculous! I didn't see Malone getting sent away from HIS squad. Why the hell was I being kept in the dark on this? 'I suppose I'm just supposed to improvise when everybody starts leaving!' I thought bitterly.  
  
Finally they dispersed.  
  
"What the hell am I, your person secretary?" I demanded when he was finally close enough that I could sound angry without the rest of the Island hearing. "I'm not a mechanic, I don't know how to fix this stupid thing."  
  
"Diz, you acted stupid," he replied. "You gotta start thinking before you jump into things."  
  
"So, what? You send me to sit in a corner?" I snapped.  
  
"We're all on the same team out there," he snapped back, his voice rising. "You can't just start picking fights!"  
  
"I didn't start that fight!" I exclaimed. "He came after me! What do you want from me?"  
  
"A little self control maybe!"  
  
"Oh!" I exploded. "As if YOU'VE never gotten in a fight before, Rico."  
  
"That's not the point," he growled.  
  
"Then what IS the point?" I cried. "I'm not asking for better treatment, here, but fair treatment would be nice!"  
  
He winced slightly, "Diz - "  
  
"I mean, what?" I cut him off. "I defend a baby and myself and you jump all over me. Oh, yeah 'we're all on the same team out there'," I mocked sarcastically.  
  
"Look, I made a mistake!"  
  
"You're damn right you did!" I snapped. Wait. . . what? It was too late, I was already off and ranting, "I mean, I looked like a little kid being sent to bed without desert. That was humiliating!"  
  
RICO  
  
"I'm sorry!" I exclaimed in angry frustration. "What was I supposed to do? If I'd kept you there to explain exactly what happened you'd have seen STRAIGHT through me and so would everyone else." I gestured furiously. "I'm the LT, I'm supposed to keep my troops in order, how do you think it's gonna look if I suddenly go after someone like Malone after something like that with you?!"  
  
Dizzy stayed quite.  
  
'Oh shit," I swore silently. 'Tell me I did not just sat all that. DAMMIT! Now who's got to start thinking before they speak." 


	23. vague plans

Dizzy:  
  
I stared at him. He couldn't get off so easily, I couldn't let him get off so easily. Still I couldn't help the warm glow I could vaguely feel in the pit of my stomach.  
  
"Rico," much to my irritation I said his name noticeably more gently.  
  
"I know, I know" he replied quickly, cutting me off, and oblivious to my change of tones. "I still can't get away with what I just did, I'm sorry."  
  
"Hey," I searched for words uselessly. Why did he ALWAYS have to leave me at such a loss? "Come on, since when do Lieutenant's apologize to their troopers?"  
  
The corners of his lips stretched up into a bit of a smile. "Good point, Flores, I'll have to keep that in mind."  
  
"Oh, great," I muttered sarcastically. "I feel better now." I rolled my eyes.  
  
He smirked. "In the meantime we're moving out."  
  
I stopped short. "To go where?"  
  
RICO:  
  
"The Predators arrived in a Skimmer, the Retrieval Ship is completely busted, it's been gutted of just about everything, and what hasn't been taken we're scavenging, the mechanics are going to see what they can put together." I summed it up in as few words as possible. "Plus it seems that any vehicle just off the island is still functioning so the Jet Skis will work, we just need to get to them far enough out and then we can send out troopers to scout."  
  
"And everyone else?"  
  
"Split into groups to scout by land," I replied. I nodded about to turn away and hurry her back to get to work, having covered everything.  
  
"What about Sandrine?"  
  
I froze. Dammit! "Uhm, I'll. deal with that when the time comes. In the meantime we've wasted enough time lets move trooper!"  
  
I caught the arched eyebrow she shot me but ignored it as she chanted "Yes, sir!" and hurried to get to work.  
  
I smirked, shaking my head slightly at her retreating back. Before turning my attention back to the task at hand. "Higgins!"  
  
"Yes, sir?"  
  
"Is your camera working?"  
  
"Not properly, sir."  
  
"Then how 'bout submitting it to the cause?" I suggested, holding out my hand.  
  
HIGGINS:  
  
I looked from the camera to the LT slowly. "Sure. I mean it's not doing me any good." I handed it over. "Anything else?"  
  
"Nope, this'll do," Rico replied. More quietly he added, "Thanks Higgins."  
  
I smiled slightly. "'Welcome." It always felt kind of funny, being without my camera, and Rico knew it, and I appreciated it. Still I wasn't gonna deny the LT, especially when it wasn't working anyways. 


End file.
